In Iowa, negative campaigning is a risky play

[babylonsister]

In Iowa, negative campaigning is a risky play

By George E. Condon Jr.
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

December 16, 2007


WASHINGTON – “Iowa nice” is how Gordon Fischer describes the type of campaigning preferred by the state's voters.

Four years ago as state Democratic chairman, he objected when his party's leading presidential candidates were anything but nice to each other.

The tactic backfired then, and Fischer, reflecting on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's drop in the polls, said it may be similarly counterproductive today.

“We just don't like negative campaigning,” he said. “By and large we are polite, nice people who just don't let negative campaigning go on.”

Of course, Fischer has another reason to object this year. The former chairman is backing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who has been the target of much of the negative campaigning by the New York senator.

Clinton has come under sporadic withering attack from former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. But he has pulled back a little bit lately, leaving most of the attention on Clinton. Her campaign operatives have made statements – later described as “unauthorized” by the campaign – that raised questions recently about Obama's youthful use of drugs and a childhood essay that suggested he was more ambitious than the candidate acknowledges.

The drug reference led to a public apology from Clinton and the resignation of her national co-chairman, Billy Shaheen, while the mention of the kindergarten essay generally provoked laughter on the campaign trail.

But there was little laughter and much criticism when Clinton signaled not only that she would start being more critical of Obama, but that this would be “the fun part” of the campaign.

more...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20071216-9999-1n16campaign.html

[Skidmore]

1. As an Iowan, I wish the rest of the nation would adopt the caucus as

a means of selecting candidates. It is not about being "nice," but about community consensus. You don't have the isolation of the voting booth for that first step, but genuine forums in which differences in policy can be discussed with the members of the community before people decide on a final candidate. Civility is essential to the process because you are in a room with your neighbors and friends, people you see every day on the street, people who you work and play with. We know that it is in our best interests to select someone with the greater community's concerns at heart.

[K Gardner]

2. I like this idea.. it gets rid of the major obstacle we have in any election..

and that is the mainstream media. Good post :-)